1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a novel method for installing a safety gate system and a safety gate system for practicing said method. The safety gate system is intended limit access across a passageway such as a stairway, hallway, doorframe, or other enclosed area. Safety gates are generally used in households with young children to restrain them within a designated area or protect them from dangerous areas such as stair landings.
2. Description of Related Art
Temporary gate systems are commonly used in households with young children or pets for safety and supervision purposes. Gate systems can be used to keep children or pets away from selected rooms or areas or to ensure that children or pets remain within a selected room or area. Such devices are also frequently used to prevent access to stair landings or other areas dangerous to infants and toddlers.
Users of such gate systems often have two requirements: 1) users require gate systems that securely prevent access to designated areas and can withstand attempts of removal and/or entry by infants, toddlers or pets and 2) barriers should be easy and convenient to assemble.
Prior art gate systems are usually fastened to support structures by one of two means: either through pressure-mounted systems or by physical attachment to support structures through attachment means such as screws and anchors.
The pressure-mounted systems require placing a gate device within the desired location, and extending and fixing the gate horizontally to the point of compression, until it is held in place. Pressure-mounted systems typically have rubber pads to increase friction against the support structure thereby improving the stability of the system. While pressure-mounted systems may not require tools for assembly, they are often time consuming and limited as to the spaces in which they are appropriate for use.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,457,914 titled “Safety Gate for Juveniles with Security Brackets” discloses such a pressure-mounted device. A disadvantage of pressure-mounted systems such as U.S. Pat. No. 5,457,914 is that they do not provide the necessary stability required to prevent entry to areas dangerous to infants and toddlers such as the top of stair landings.
An alternative mechanism for securing a gate system in place is by hardware attached systems. In such a system, a gate is hinged to a frame, which is physically attached to a support structure through screws or other attachment means. On the opposite side of the support structure, a means to receive the gate is attached to the support structure also through screws or other attachment means.
While such hardware-attached systems are more securely fastened to support structures when compared to pressure-mounted systems, they generally require drilling holes and damaging support structures. Purchasers of such systems are required to handle the installation of such systems themselves, and may not have the necessary tools or skills to do so correctly. Furthermore, these systems require that the installer identify the location of support members within the support structure because standard sheet rock alone is insufficient to hold such systems in place. Manufacturers of such systems recommend that such systems be attached to parallel, wooden wall surfaces which can be impractical since such wall surfaces may not be present in the desired location.
An additional disadvantage of most prior art hardware-attached systems is once installed, they are not convenient to uninstall. If the user wishes to remove the barrier component of such gate systems, damaged support structures are exposed. If a user temporarily has no need for the gate system but anticipates a need for it in the future, he is likely to keep the gate in place, despite any inconvenience of having the barrier in position.
Finally, a major shortcoming of all of the prior art is that significant time, tools, or hardware is required to assemble and install a safety gate system correctly. Purchasers of such safety gates are required to handle the installation of said gate systems and may have to seek outside assistance from handymen or child home safety services in order to do so properly. Purchasers of such systems may attempt to assemble safety gate systems themselves, and do so incorrectly, resulting in a situation that could be more dangerous than having no safety gate in place at all.
The present invention addresses all of the above shortcomings by providing a novel method of installing and assembling a safety gate system that removes the burden of installation from the purchaser and places it in the hands of building and design professionals. The present invention further teaches a safety gate system for practicing said method comprising adapter features that are integrated within support structures such as a walls, doorframes, posts, banisters, railings, or newels. By providing adapter features, users are able to quickly and securely assemble and remove gates across passageways without the use of equipment or hardware.